Steam-engine



2 sheets-sheet 1.' T. BALLEW. STEAM ENGINE (No Model.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

T. B LEW. STEA GINE.

No. 546,266. Patented Sept. l0, 1895.

In" DREW EJSRANAM. PHOTB-UTHO WASNIN GYUN. DC

UNITED STATES PATENT Ormes.

TAYLER BALLEW, OF ARLINGTON, MISSOURI.

STEAM-ENGINE.

I SPECIFECATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 546,266, dated September 10, 1895.

Application filed June 20, 1895.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that LTAYLER BALLEW, acitizen of the United States, residing at Arlington, in the county of Phelps and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Steam-Engine, of which the following is a speciication. l

The primary object of the present invention is to secure a quick responsive action of the piston when the steam is cut off and the said piston is beginning the return stroke.

Another object, and of vital consequence, is to obviate pounding or Working of the piston against live steam, which frequently results in the blowing out of the cylinder-head and Working great damage to the machinery and contiguous structures, and not unfrequently causing loss of life and limb. By the present invention live steam can be admitted at one end of the cylinder only. Hence the disastrous results attendant upon the construction of engines in which it is possible to admit the live steam at both ends of the cylinder at the same instant'are Wholly avoided.

A still further purpose of the invention is to dispense with the ordinary steam-chest andlocate it and the cut-od With-in the cylinder, as will be more fully set forth hereinafter.

The improvementconsists, essentially, of the novel features and the peculiar construction and combination of the parts, which hereinafter will be more fully set forth and claimed, and which are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective View of a steamengine embodying the vital principles of theinvention. Fig. 2 isa longitudinal section of the cylinder, showing the relative disposition of the parts when the piston is at the end of its stroke in one direction. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the relative location 4of the parts when the piston is at the end of its stroke in the opposite direction. Fig. is a cross-section of the cylinder on the line X X of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 isa detail view of the piston. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the cut-off valve.

In general appearance the steam-engine is not unlike an engine of ordinary construction, and comprises asteam-cylinder 1, mounted upon a bed 2, slotted Ways 3 for the crosshead 4 to travel in, and which has connection Serial No. 553,480. (No model.)

With the piston by means of the rod 6, the shaft 7 having acrank 8 at one end connected by a pitman 9 with the cross-head 4, and an eccentric 10, connected in the usual manner bya rod 11 With a valve 12, whereby the eX- haust-ports from the cylinder l are controlled, and a band-pully 13 mounted upon the shaft 7, from which the power is taken by means of a belt in' the ordinary Way.

The steam-cylinder 1 has a centrally-disposed'live-steam port 14, which has connection by means of a pipe 15 with a steam-generator in a manner well understood in the art of steam-engineering, and is provided with exhaust-ports 16, which lead from the ends of the cylinder to .an exhaust-pipe 17, by means of which the exhaust-steam is conveyed to a suitable pointof discharge. v The valve 12 is located at the junction of the exhaust-ports 16 with the exhaust-pipe 17, and has oppositely-disposed passages 18 to establish communication between the exhaust-ports and the exhaust-pipe 17. These passages 18 are so related that only one exliaustport at a time will be in communication with the exhaust-pipe, the other exhaust-port being closed. The valve-stem 19 has connection with the rod l1, whereby the valve is actuated to open and close the exhaust-ports at the proper time to effect a reverse movement of the piston. The exhausbports are formed in a thickened part 2O of the steam-cylinder, which part is located on the under side so as to be hidden from view and not detract from the symmetrical appearance of the upper portion of the engine-cylinder. The valve l2 is likewise seated in vthis thickened part 20. ln order to secure the cylinder upon its bed, it is formed with lateral ilanges 2l, which are apertured to receive the bolts or fastenings by means of which the said cylinder is held upon its bed. One of the anges has a slot- 22 for the passage of the valve-stem 19.

The piston 5 has connection with its operating-rod 6 in any preferred manner, and is double-ended, being provided with two heads 23 and 24, which are suitably packed to ob tain asteam-tight joint between them and the cylinder, and which are connected by an approximately cylindrical casing 25, which is formed in its sides at opposite points with openings 26 for the ingress of live steam into IOO the casing 25. A steam-passage 27 extends through the piston-head 23 and comm unicates with one end of the casing 25, and a corresponding passage 28 is formed in the pistonhead 24 and communicates with the opposite end of the said casing, and these passages admit of the live steam entering the ends of the steam-cylinder l from the casing 25 in the eilicientworlringof the engine. In order that one passage may be closed while the other is opened, a cutoi valve 29 is provided and located within the casing 25, and consists of a stem SO having heads 3L-which are adapted to tit against the inner sides of the casingheads and close the said passages. This cutoft valve is of less length than the distance between the heads of the casing, so that it has a limited longitudinal movement, thereby enabling it to close only one passage at a time.

The operation of the engine may be briefly stated as follows: The live steam entering through the port 14 is confined between the piston-l1eads 23 and 24: and passes into the casing 25 through the openings 26, and the valve l2 being turned so as to establish communication between the exhaust-port 16 and the pipe i7 at theleft-hand end of the steam cylinder the live steam will pass from the casing 25 through the passage 2S into the ri ght-hand end of the steam-cylinder and drive the piston from the right-hand end of the said cylinder to the left-hand end thereof. As the piston reaches the limit of its stroke to the left, the position of the valve l2 will be changed by means of its actuating mechanism, as hereinbefore stated, and the exhaustport previously opened will be closed and the one closed opened, which will result in a quick movement of the cut-oft valve so as to close the passage 2S and open the passage 27, thereby permitting the live steam which previously escaped through the passage 2S to nnd its way through the passage 27 and into the left-hand end of the cylinder, thereby driving the piston to the right. The operation just'described is repeated at each stroke ot the piston, the valves l2 and 29 reversing and causing the piston to be driven in an opposite direction to its previous stroke. It will be seen that the instant the valve 12 is reversed the cut-oli valve 29 will Afly toward that end of the cylinder whose exhaustport is open, thereby shutting ol the supply of live steam to this end of the cylinder and admitting it to the opposite end. Inasmuch as the exhaust-port at one end of the cylinder is always open while the opposite exhaustport is closed, it will be readily comprehended that no pounding action can possibly take place and that the live steam must find its way to that end of the cylinder whose exhaustport is closed, thereby driving the piston in the proper direction. The cut-off valve will at all times shut oi the supply of live steam to that end of the steam-cylinder whose exhaust-port is open. Hence there can be no possible waste of steam in the operation of the engine. It will be seen that the instant the steam is shut off from the engine a vacuum is created in each end of the cylinder which checks the movement of the piston and has the same effect -as applying a brake to the en gine. \Vhile the cut-oli is shown located within the casing comprised between the two piston-heads, it is obvious that it can be applied to a steamchest provided exterior to the cylinder, and that the two piston-heads 23 and 24 can be merged or consolidated into a single piston.

The invention is applicable to the various styles and patterns ot' engines which embody in their construction a cylinder and a recip rocating piston. Therefore it must be understood that in adapting the same to meet the various demands changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. An engine comprising a cylinder having a centrally-disposed ingress port and end exhaust ports, a reciprocating piston within the cylinder comprising heads which-have passages therethrough and which inclose a space which is in communication with the ingress port, and a cut-off valve adapted to operate between the piston heads and close the passages therein, substantially as described for the purpose set forth.

2. An engine comprising a cylinder having a centrally-disposed ingress port and having end exhaust ports, a piston adapted to operate in the cylinder and provided with two heads which are located a distance apart and inclose a space which is in communication with the said ingress port, said heads having passages therethrough and connected by a casing, and a cut-oft valve adapted to operate in the said casing to close the passages in the piston heads, substantially as described for the purpose set forth.

3.- An engine comprising a cylinder having a centrally-disposed ingress port and having end exhaust ports, means for controlling the said exhaust ports, a piston adapted to operate in the cylinder and comprising two heads which are provided with passages, and which inclose a space that is in communication with the ingress port, and a cut-off valve adapted to operate between the piston heads and close the passages therethrough, substantially as described for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination with a cylinder having a centrally-disposed ingress port and end ex` haust ports, a valve for controlling the said exhaust ports and actuating mechanism therefor, of a piston comprising two heads located a distance apart and inclosing a space which is in communication With the said ingress port, and which have passages therethrough, a casing connecting the piston heads and having openings in its sides, and a cut-oft' valve lOO ITO

adapted to operate in the said casing and close 4 the passages in the tially as set forth.

5. An engine comprising a cylinder having a centrally-disposed ingress port and having ateral ianges by means of which it is secured upon its bed, and having the lower portion thickened and provided with exhaust passages which communicate with the opposite ends of the cylinder and with an exhaust pipe, a valve at the junction of the exhaust passages and adapted to establish communication With one of the said exhaust passages and the exhaust pipe at a time, said valve being mounted in the thickened portion of the cylinder, a piston piston heads, substanlocated in the cylinder and comprising two heads which inclose a space in communication with the ingress port, and which have passages therethrough, a casing connecting the 'piston 

